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Blue Jays paying close attention to six-man rotation: Griffin

The Jays are winning with the six-man rotation, going a respectable 7-5 the first two times through. But are they winning because of the six-man or despite it?

Aaron Sanchez will get the start for the Jays Saturday in Cleveland. The organization will keep close tabs on their young starter as his innings accumulate. (Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

CLEVELAND—It was early afternoon at Progressive Field and Aaron Sanchez was the first man out, warming up in the outfield in the Blue Jays’ area behind the right-centre field fence. Normally, pitchers don’t throw a bullpen the day before a start, but in this case Sanchez had not used the Thursday off day and was just loosening his arm for his Saturday start.

The Blue Jays are staying the course with Sanchez for the moment, no matter what the individuals involved might think of it.

Sure, the Jays are winning games with the six-man rotation, going a respectable 7-5 the first two times through, beginning that Friday in Kansas City when Francisco Liriano first toed the rubber as a Jay.

But are they winning because of the six-man or despite it?

GM Ross Atkins had also promised that Sanchez’s inning count could still be protected even more with a little imagination. So where has that been?

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The Jays have had two days off on consecutive Thursdays since beginning the experiment but have not wavered, meaning Liriano made his third Friday start in a row. Sanchez is set to be Mr. Saturday for the third consecutive week and Marcus Stroman the any-given-Sunday guy.

In fact, despite throwing just 57 pitches prior to Tuesday’s fortuitous rain delay in the Bronx, Marco Estrada, a true all-star, will have to wait until Wednesday to get another start. He’s so itchy about that eighth-day he suggested he’s available in relief this weekend.

“Tomorrow or Sunday, depending if we needed him, Estrada would pitch out of the ’pen a couple of innings if he had to,” Gibbons confirmed. “It was his idea. It’ll do him some good. Then he’ll come back and pitch Wednesday. It’s only if we need him (in relief).”

Piecing together information gleaned from Gibbons, this is what the Jays’ rotation should look like for the next 13 days: Liriano opens the series in Cleveland Friday, then will work again Friday against the Twins but then not again until early September. He is truly on a six-man turn and is, in fact, the sixth man.

“It’s not necessarily ideal, but they’ve all responded so far,” Gibbons said. “They’ve all been fine for the most part. We’ll run it and see how it works, then we’ll give Sanchy what he needs. If we give him a little break, then everything will kind of fall into place on a regular turn anyway.”

Sanchez will take his turn Saturday in Cleveland after airing his arm out briefly Friday afternoon. However, the Jays will take advantage of a day off and try to back their young star off to reduce his workload. Given hints from Gibbons, Sanchez may not pitch again until one of the three games in Baltimore at the end of the month, this against a team that is very much an AL East contender. That would give him at least eight days of rest.

Stroman, meanwhile, is starting the finale Sunday against the Indians then will likely go Aug. 27, the middle game of the Twins series, on his seventh day. He is also a young starter with limited innings.

R.A. Dickey will open Tuesday’s homestand against the Angels, then will start the series finale against the Twins at home Aug. 28. That means he will miss one of his least favourite venues in the league, Camden Yards, so that works out.

Estrada, after possibly being used as a reliever this weekend, will face the Angels on Wednesday on his eighth day after rain shortened that New York start. He will then be slotted into the very important O’s series Aug. 29-31, along with Sanchez and J.A. Happ, meaning the Jays’ three best pitchers will be available in Baltimore.

So maybe the Jays have thought it out after all.

Finally there’s Happ, tied for the major-league lead in victories with 17 but being slowed down by the six-man rotation. He is pitching next on Thursday against the Angels, then again in the series in Baltimore. Pitching coach Pete Walker and Gibbons downplay the opponents each man will face, but significantly they have the three right men in Baltimore, with Dickey and Stroman in good position to earn a victory.

“A big-league team is a big-league team,” Gibbons said. “Anybody can beat anybody. It might be a little arrogant, but we’re going to look at where (Sanchez) is at, and when he needs (rest), he needs it. We’ll try to map it out. If you can guarantee us a win on any given night, we’d do it otherwise.”

As for September, things always seem to have a way of working themselves out via injury, performance and durability.

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